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Ligue 1 wrap: Lille win as Marseille falter

Lille kept their faint title hopes alive with a late goal sealing a 1-0 win at Lorient in French Ligue 1 on Saturday.

The visitors were 11 points behind league leaders Paris Saint-Germain before the match and needed a victory to keep their title defence going.

Lille got the crucial goal 14 minutes from time through a counter-attack featuring Eden Hazard and Dimitri Payet, which eventually saw Mathieu Debuchy score to move Rudi Garcia's side within eight points of PSG and seven behind second-placed Montpellier.

The result moved Lille three points ahead of Marseille, who were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at home against Valenciennes.

Marseille took the lead in the 16th minute when Alou Diarra rose highest to head home Rod Fanni's cross but the visitors from northern France equalised six minutes after the break.

An in-swinging corner caused confusion in the home side's penalty area and the ball fell to Carlos Gil who struck from two yards out.

In an entertaining finish to the game, neither side could create a winning goal despite numerous opportunities.

In Dijon, the home side secured their first win in four matches with a comfortable 3-0 victory over relegation strugglers Nice.

On-loan Chelsea forward Gael Kakuta opened the scoring one minute before half-time after Brice Jovial's neat control allowed him to slam home the ball from the left wing for his third goal since his loan move began.

The favour was returned after the interval when Kakuta set up Jovial in the 53rd minute.

Koro Kone made the game safe late on to secure an emphatic win for Dijon.

In other Ligue 1 results, relegation-threatened pair Sochaux and Auxerre both failed to secure a much-needed win in a match that ended 0-0, Toulouse defeated Nancy 3-0, Caen and Evian shared the points in a 2-2 draw, while Ajaccio were held by Stade Brestois in a 0-0 stalemate.

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Ligue 1 preview: PSG look to bounce back in top-two clash

Paris Saint-Germain and Montpellier will do battle for top spot in Ligue 1 on Sunday, while Lyon face Bordeaux.

Carlo Ancelotti's PSG are top by a point after only managing to take a 0-0 draw at Nice on Sunday in a match they were expected to win.

It allowed Montpellier to close the gap, thrashing Ajaccio 3-0 for what was their seventh consecutive win in all competitions.

Arsenal target Olivier Giroud was on the scoresheet in that win for Rene Girard's men, netting his 16th league goal of the campaign.

PSG were 3-0 winners when the teams met earlier this season, and this time have the advantage of playing at Parc des Princes.

Meanwhile, Lyon will be eyeing third spot when they travel to Stade Chaban-Delmas to take on Bordeaux on the same day.

Remi Garde's side responded to their league loss to Caen with a 1-0 win over APOEL in their Champions League round-of-16 first-leg meeting.

Lyon striker Bafetimbi Gomis (nine league goals) has been in prolific form, netting five times in his last six matches in all competitions.

Champions Lille will be out to rebound from their 5-4 loss to Bordeaux when they meet Lorient away from home on Saturday.

Eden Hazard, Lille's top-scorer in the league with nine, will reportedly leave Stade Lille-Metropole at season's end with a move to Tottenham on the cards.

In other matches, sixth-placed Marseille host Valenciennes looking to continue closing the gap on the top five after their slow start to the season, while Toulouse travel to Nancy.

Saint-Etienne and Stade Rennes, fifth and seventh respectively, meet on Sunday, while the league's bottom two - Auxerre and Sochaux - will clash at Stade Auguste Bonal on Saturday.

Ajaccio will be eyeing a place further from the bottom three when they host Brest, Caen will be out to build on their shock upset win over Lyon when they welcome Evian TG and Nice hope to break their run of six matches without a win when they visit Dijon.